Punk Turns 30

Television, and its guitar pas de deux between Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, fit into the punk scene only because they are the ones basically responsible for CBGB becoming a punk rock club. Tom Verlaine convinced Hilly Kristal to let them practice there and play shows, and the rest is history. Both Verlaine and Lloyd are such virtuoso guitarists that its a crime to fit them in with other punk bands that came out of the same scene. Along side Richard Hell and the Voidoids, a band that also boasted some expert musicianship and poetry, Television occupied a special place, bridging the gap between art, poetry, music and the underground scene that was punk'd out. Punk rock bands played short, angry bursts of rock n roll, often badly, mostly brashly and without finesse. Television played long, lyrical explorations of the rock n roll song with the precision of surgeons, the focus of scholars and the words of poets. "Little Johnny Jewel," the single Television relea...

Johnny Thunders is another punk rock legend, a New York legend. New York Dolls and his own Heartbreakers are the foundation of many a punk rocker's record collection, and if you're in a band, the basis for so much of your own songwriting and source of cover material. Above is a photo of the Heartbreakers, and Walter Lure, looking good and rocking hard, is also featured. The two of them - Thunders and Lure, were the dirty side of the NY guitar duo coin ( Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd of Television would be the virtuoso side of that coin.) Everyone who ever crossed paths with Johnny Thunders has a story to tell, and I have my fair share. There were the times on the road where I found myself in a van with both Thunders and Stiv Bators, and couldn't decide if it was punk rock heaven, or a sure bet we'd get pulled over by cops and end up in Rikers Island. I've seen Johnny Thunders living in his car, and I've seen him flush. I've seen him on NYC's...

Sometimes I think the term “guitar hero” is kind of antithetical to punk rock. But… there are guitar players in punk bands that people do indeed idolize. Punk Turns 30’s next series, Punk Guitar Heroes kicks off with Pat Smear of The Germs. The photo above is one that no one has seen until now. It was a passing shot I took in the poorly-lit garage of Pat Smear’s mom’s house in West Los Angeles while The Germs practiced and I shot and it resulted in the cover of "Forming," although all those things were not on anyone's radar at the moment. Except maybe for Darby Crash, who did think that far into the future. I’m still messing around with this picture, but it is as rough looking as punk rock… so I thought you might like a peek at the work-in-progress. You’ve seen this image from that same Germs rehearsal – Darby Crash pointing this toy gun at Pat… Its always been strange to me, once I went back to scan these negatives some 30 years after shooting these photos that...

Poet, punk rocker, Mother... that's Patti Smith, who has always been each of those ever since I first heard "Horses" oh so many years ago. In the winter of 1975, I was a French symbolist poetry-loving student when my friend Bill, who worked at the cool indie record store in town, thrust a copy of "Horses" at me. He said I'd love it and there was nothing to lose, as it was produced by John Cale, former Velvet Underground member, and producer of the Stooges and solo artist of great acclaim himself. That was enough for me. John Cale was already a genius in my book. One listen was all it took. Patti's version of "Gloria," the song made famous by Van Morrison and Them began with her own poetic interpretation ideologies embraced by existentialists and gnostics alike and reminded me of Jean Genet. That it rocked hard and chaotically was a big bonus. Further...looking at the album cover, seeing her band...she had conscripted for her drummer,...

Belinda Carlisle and Charlotte Caffey had considerable punk rock street cred when they joined forces as the Go Go’s. Of course, they didn’t know it or feel it at the time. To the general public ( not you punk rock aficionados reading this), the Go Go's seem like an overnight sensation, but there were some serious dues-paying behind the scenes. Belinda before the Go Go's Belinda played drums for the Germs as Dottie Danger for about five minutes. She was a “Blackette” back up singer for Black Randy and his Metro Squad. Once she moved to LA, she was well on her way to being an It Girl, just being cute and being at the right shows, right parties, and on the arm of the right guys. She had a distinctive look and fashion sense. And drive and ambition. Here are some images of the It Girl along her way to international pop stardom. at the Whisky. Those guys are the brothers who were in the Jonezes with Karlos Kaballero of the Dickies as a Blackette for Black Randy Belinda a...

The Dils It’s all happening in California! Before we return to our photo tribute to the ladies of punk rock ( Blondie, Patti Smith and the Go Go’s are coming up), we wanted to tell you about a couple of punk rock veterans and their awesome shows happening right under your nose tomorrow, May 25, and through the following week. Chip Kinman, (above) the guitar half of the punk rock Kinman Brothers who brought you the Dils, Rank and File, Cowboy Nation and Blackbird is playing at the Relax Bar in Hollywood tomorrow with his new band, PCH. I caught PCH last time I was out and about in LA clubs, and Chip is in fine form. He still has that jump in his repertoire, I swear! The Relax Bar is at 5511 Hollywood Blvd. And from the Ramones ..... Tommy Ramone has a brand new bag. Uncle Monk, his punk rock bluegrass duo with Claudia Tienan is on the road in California. Here’s Tommy’s gig alert for all the details. California! Yes, Uncle Monk is coming to California. Friday, May 25th, 200...

Miriam Linna played drums for The Cramps in 1976-1977, and since 1986 has been one-half of Norton Records with Billy Miller, her husband and band-mate in the A Bones. Miriam is just so cool and just about the kindest person on the face of the earth. She's been deeply involved in so many punk rock things as a writer/zine publisher, musician, record label and fan. Together with Billy, in just the past year, Miriam has been instrumental in bringing back to vinyl, two important musical artists from the 60s: Mary Weiss and The Alarm Clocks. And Miriam has made enough of a dent in the world to have her own entry in the Wikipedia so how's that? Miriam Linna, Billy Miller, the Reigning Sound and Mary Weiss, up on the roof of the recording studio, Brooklyn, NY 2006 Tara McManus plays drums in Mr Airplane Man, and is one-third of the Turpentine Brothers with her husband, Justin Hubbard and keyboard player Zack Brines. Turpentine Brothers Mr Airplane Man is Margaret Garre...

That would be Mary Weiss lead singer of the legendary girl group, The Shangri Las who turned my, and most girl's worlds inside out with their true-to-life interpretations of true-to-life scenarios. If you don't remember "Walkin in the Sand," or "Leader of the Pack," tune in to oldies radio. But you needn't go back 40 years to enjoy Mary Weiss. In the photo above, she's in a recording session with co-producers Billy Miller and Greg Cartwright. That record is out now! Dangerous Game, on the Norton Records label. The former teen queen has always kept her keen eye on the music scene, and who knows what she thought when punk bands like Blondie started having success, no doubt inspired by the girl group phenomena led by the Shangri Las. Then there's this whole other amazing slew of punk girl groups who took their cue from the girls of the 60s: The Runaways who were the leader of the punk pack, all the way to the current crop of girl groups...

Acknowledged by so many fans and critics alike as the Queen of Los Angeles Punk Rock, Exene Cervenka of X is seen here in some classic Exene stances. This one was in my sporadic column of LA punk pix in Rock Scene with the caption, “Exene Blisses Out.” Exene moved to LA from Florida in the mid 70s and met John Doe while both of them were working on their poetry at the west side's renown Poetry Project. Hanging out at the Masque, John and Exene hooked up with Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebrake, quickly formed a band, and just as quickly rose to represent in most people’s consciousness what LA punk was all about. Their single on the Dangerhouse label, “Adult Books” showed just how literate and literary John Doe and Exene were. Inspired, rumor has it, but the “adult books” signs around town, the song dealt with love, sex, lust, relationships and name-checked ladies pulp novelist Jackie Susann (Valley of the Dolls) in a way that tied up the imagery with a dirty bow. They wrote abo...